The stagnant Men of Dunharrow were employed by Aragorn to aid him defeat Sauron ’s forces inThe Lord of the Rings , but he let them go after they had finished fighting together . This was rolled out in both J.R.R. Tolkien ’s landmark fantasy novel of 1955,The Lord of the Rings , andPeter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies . The account for Aragorn ’s dismissal of this key ally was more evident in the al-Qur’an than in the trilogy . This prompt many TV audience of the movies to ask why Aragorn had not kept the USA in his service .

Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsnovel , published in three portion between 1954 and 1955 , revealed the deeper lore behind the Army of the Dead and their kinship with the realms of mediate - dry land . This is enlightening when it come to why Aragorn discharged the Army of the Dead because Aragorn himself was a cardinal player in the kingdom of Middle - earth . Aragorn was a Ranger inLord of the Rings , despite being successor to the pot of Gondor . Thus , he was linked to the Dead Men of Dunharrow by history and government .

The Army Of The Dead’s Debt To Aragorn In The Lord Of The Rings Explained

The Dead Men Of Dunharrow Were Held By An Oath

The Dead Men of Dunharrow were hold by an oath that run low a retentive room to explaining Aragorn ’s pick . Aragorn dispensed with the divine service of the Army of the Dead , although they were one ofLord of the Rings’strongest armies . While this may not make horse sense at first glimpse , it is link to the curse taken by the army . The Army of the Dead swore an curse that rendered them in debtto Aragorn . It is technically to Isildur that this army swore their oath , but Isildur is Aragorn ’s ancestor .

Aragorn goes by many name in J.R.R. Tolkien ’s The Lord of the Rings , and Peter Jackson conform a few of them in his flick . Each has a report .

The beat Men of Dunharrow ’s duty hand from Isildur all the room down to Aragorn . InThe Lord of the Rings’Second Age , many years before the events of the novel and movie trilogy , Isildur was oppose a war against Sauron . Sauron rose to power throughout the Second Age , as adapted by Amazon Prime Video’sThe Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power- with varying degree of faithfulness . The Army of the Dead had swan to dish up Isildur but betrayed himwhen Isildur enlisted them , for which he anathemize them to uneasiness until their oath was action .

A composite image of Aragorn wearing a crown in front of the Army of the Dead

Why Aragorn Frees The Army Of The Dead After Battle Of The Pelennor Fields

Aragorn Understood The Way Oaths Worked In Lord Of The Rings

The Army of the Dead was subject to an incredibly muscular oath , and therefore an unbelievably powerful curse , so for Aragorn to disrespect them would be risky . Although not outlined in torturous detail inLord of the Rings , oaths and curse did seem to have a contractually binding power , which resonated with the variety of medieval and ancient phratry and fairy narrative that Tolkien was inspire by . Middle - world was presided over bythe One Eru Ilúvatar , a God who implemented " police of physical science , " of which oaths and whammy seemed to be a part .

Freeing the Men of Dunharrow was the correct , honorable matter for Aragorn to do .

While Eru ’s axani were laws meant to be obeyed , Eru ’s únati were the Torah of the universe that could not be broken ( Morgoth ’s Ring ) . It is imply throughout the legendarium thatoaths and curses are únati , which explains why Isildur ’s expletive work . This result Aragorn able to use the Army of the Dead , using the leveraging that it would free them from their bane . In fulfilling their curse to Aragorn , the term of the swearword and nemesis had both been fulfill and were no longer binding . Besides , freeing the Men of Dunharrow was the right , honorable thing for Aragorn to do .

still from They were expendable

It’s Not Clear If The Dead Men Of Dunharrow Could Have Helped Against Sauron

The Army Of The Dead May Have Been Useless In Other Circumstances

Aragorn may have let the Dead Men of Dunharrow go from his service , partially because they would no longer have been utilitarian to him . It is n’t cleared if the Army of the Dead would have been utile to Aragorn or not following the Battle of the Pelennor Fields , asit depend on the exact nature of their biological science and metal money . This was n’t profoundly dive into in the legendarium . Sauron was one ofthe most powerful character inThe Lord of the Rings , and it ’s possible he could have reappropriated their power as a " thaumaturge . "

" The Lay of Leithian " can be read inThe Lays of Beleriand , issue in 1985 .

Disrespecting the core tenet of the army ’s curse may have been either impossible or imply of disastrous consequences for Aragorn , as per Eru ’s únati . If , doing this , Aragorn kept the ground forces enslaved to him , he would plausibly have been more at risk from Sauron in the coming hebdomad or months . Sauron may have been capable to claim the armyfor his own at any time , having dabbled in the biological engineering of unexampled species and command of the stagnant . The Lay of Leithian points to Sauron ’s ascendence of ghost and spirits .

Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton sits next to Julia Schlaepfer as Alexandra Dutton in 1923.

Aragorn’s Decision In The Lord Of The Rings Is The Right One For His Character

Dismissing The Army Of The Dead Made Sense For Aragorn

at long last , it made sense for Aragorn to alleviate the Dead Men of Dunharrow from their responsibility after they had served him . Not only was this a logical pick based on the uncertainty of the army ’s free burning loyalty following the pass completion of their binding oath , but it was a reflection of his moral character . in all probability realise the possibility of dire consequences for him in disobeying the status of a curse , setting the Army of the Dead free reflected intelligenceand understanding of lore and history - both required of the King of Gondor and Arnor .

Tolkienian years

Event mark The Start

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn named as king in Lord of the Rings.

eld

entire Length In Solar Years

Before prison term

Aragorn and Dead Army in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Indeterminate

Clarence Day before Days

Ainur enrol Eä

The Eye of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings.

1 - 3,500 Valian year

33,537

Pre - First Age Years of the Trees ( Y.T. )

Aragorn looking at the Army of the Dead in The Lord of the Rings

Yavanna created the Two Trees

Y.T. 1 - 1050

10,061

The Lord of the Rings Franchise Poster with Gold Words Resembling a Ring

The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

First Age ( F.A. )

Elves awoke in Cuiviénen

Y.T. 1050 - Y.T. 1500 , F.A. 1 - 590

Movies

4,902

Second Age ( S.A. )

War of Wrath ended

The Lord of the Rings

S.A. 1 - 3441

3,441

Third Age ( T.A. )

Last Alliance defeated Sauron

T.A. 1 - 3021

3,021

Fourth Age ( Fo . A )

Elven - rings leave mediate - earth

Fo . A 1 - unknown

Unknown

Aragorn ’s character pay heed around his honor , perhaps the cardinal value of the sort of medieval epicsLord of the Ringsused to inhale its Italian sandwich . Aragorn was the main knight in shining armor of the Third Age in both the book and the picture show , although he was one of many in the book . He had to body forth honor to animate reviewer and viewer as he was meant to . Aragorn ’s journeying to kingship was set by laurels and contrast with the attempt rise of characters like Borromir , who got trip up by a hungriness for power inThe Lord of the Rings .

The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia system dealership consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power . The enfranchisement is based on   J.R.R. Tolkien ’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring . The Lord of the Rings get wind mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson ’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies .